Hair curler



Oct. 30, 1951 HAIR CURLER 2 SHEETS SHEET 1 Filed July 6, 1948 ATTORNEYS Oct. 30, 1951 M. LEWIS 2,573,033

HAIR CURLER Filed July 6, 1948 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 v HVVENTUR.

mag/05 4. AfW/(S' ATTQR/VEVS Patented Oct. 30, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAIR CURLER Maude L. Lewis, York, Nebr.

Application July 6, 1948, Serial No. 37,236

Claims. (Cl. 13240) This invention relates to improvements in hair curlers and more particularly to an improved curler for making small or pin curls without the application of heat to the hair, and for setting curls after a permanent wave treatment.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved hair curler for curling separate, small tresses or looks of hair and for maintaining the hair in tightly curled condition until the curl is set, which is easy to use and utilizes a removable winding spool so that the curlers can be left in over night without undue discomfort to the wearer, which is so economical to manufacture that a set containing a large number of pieces can be marketed at an extremely modest cost, and which is strong and durable in construction, and neat and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the assembled curler;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the assembled curler illustrated in Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a medial longitudinal cross-section of the assembled curler showing the manner of winding hair thereon;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the curler frame showing the frame rotated approximately ninety degrees from the position illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the curler frame;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the assembled curler with a handle attached thereto, a portion of the curler being broken away and shown in crosssection to better illustrate the manner of attaching the handle;

Figure '7 is aside elevation of a curler assembly including a handle different from the handle illustrated in Figure 6 and a winding crank attached to the spool of the curler, the spool and a portion of the crank being shown in crossseotion to better illustrate the construction thereof;

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of the curler, handle and crank assembly illustrated in Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of the two parts of the curler.

With continued reference to the drawing, the improved winder comprises, essentially, a frame, generally indicated at l0, and a cylindrical winding spool, generally indicated at H, removably received in the frame.

The frame has a rigid base including two circular rings l2 and I3 secured in spaced-apart substantially-parallel relationship by short struts l4 angularly spaced around the rings. Angularlyspaced arcuate loops l5 are attached at their ends to the lower ring and extend radially outwardly therefrom to provide a base for winding hair on the frame. In the form illustrated there are three such loops each extending for an angular distance of approximately one-hundred and twenty degrees around the bottom ring [2 and rigidly attached thereto. The bottom ring is reinforced by an internal triangular structure it and the two rings l2 and i3, the struts It, the loops l5 and the triangular reinforcing structure It are preferably formed of relatively stilf wire so that the base of the curler frame is substantially rigid.

A pair of U-shaped loops or ears IT have their legs connected at the open ends of the loops to the upper ring i3 and these loops extend upwardly from the upper ring, or in a direction from the upper ring away from the base ring [2 and have their upper ends substantially parallel to each other. These ears or loops I! are formed of easily bendable wire so that, when a tress of hair has been wound on the ears and the base portion of the frame, the outer end portions of the ears may be bent downwardly over the outside of the hair coil to secure the coil firmly on the frame.

The winding spool l I is a hollow, cylindrical body, preferably formed from a suitable synthetic resin'plastic, and may be colored as desired. This spool has at one end an end wall It of concaveconvex form to provide a finger receiving recess I9 in the corresponding end of the spool and is open at its opposite end. The angular side wall 23 of the spool is straight-sided and the spool is of a size to closely fit into the frame It, passing through the upper ring l3 and resting with its open bottom end on the triangular reinforcing structure [6.

The drawing illustrates the curler in exaggerated size for the purpose of clearness in the illustration. Actually, the winding spool will have a diameter of approximately one-half inch and the remaining components of the curler will be dimensioned in proportion.

In using the improved curler the spool is inserted into a frame and, by means of the finger recess IS, the combined structure is held against the side of the head and a small tress of hair is wound around the spool and the frame. When the tress has been tightly and completely wound about the frame the ears I! are bent downwardly over the wound tress, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 3 to hold the curl of hair in place on the frame and the spool is then removed and inserted into another frame whereupon the winding or curling process is repeated. The end of the tress of hair may be additionally secured in place by a hair pin or other suitable fasteners, if desired. After the curling has been completed the frames which are very thin and small, may be pinned fiat to the head with hair pins or other suitable fasteners and the hair left in put-up condition until the curls are set.

For further convenience the spool may be provided with diametrically opposite slots 2| in the inner portions of the side wall thereof to receive a pair of spaced-apart parallel prongs 22, ends of which are rigidly secured in a handle 23 so that the prongs project outwardly from one end of the handle. The handle may be of sufficient length to provide a comfortable grip for the hand and, with the handl in place, the curler assembly may be held firmly against the side of the head with the spool disposed substantially at right angles t the scalp with its side wall adjacent the scalp and the reinforcing structure of the frame overlying the open end of the spool while the hair is being Wound upon the frame and the spool. The prongs are so spaced that they pass through the triangular reinforcing structure IE, and when it is desired to remove the spool from a frame, after the frame has been bent over a curl of hair, the prongs are slipped out of the slots in the spool, the spool and the frame are then turned so that the ring !2 of the frame and the open end of the spool are adjacent the scalp and the spool is then slipped out of the frame. The spool may then be assembled with another frame and the handle reassembled with the spool.

With the spool received in a frame, the assembly is positioned with one end of the spool adjacent the scalp and held in such position either by finger pressure on the concave end wall of the spool or by the handle 23. A small tress of hair is then separated from the remainder of the hair and wound tightly on the frame and spool assembly beginning with the portion of the tress nearest the scalp. The spool causes the wound tress to assume a circular shape to provide a pin curl. When the winding of the tress has been completed, the bendable ears I I are bent down over the outer portion of the wound tress or curl, the spool serving as an abutment or form to prevent distortion of the curl during this operation. After the ears have been bent down to secure the curl on the frame, the spool is slipped out of the frame and the curl, and the frame and curl secured therein are then secured against the scalp by a hairpin or similar fastener.

A somewhat different method of operation is possible with the attachments illustrated in Fig ures '7 and 8, wherein a handle 24 is provided with a pair of longitudinally slotted opposed prongs 25 extending from one end thereof which prongs are shaped to receive two of the outwardly-extending arcuate loops of the frame base to firmly attach the handle to the frame. For this method of use, the spool is provided with a central aperture 26 in the end wall I8 thereof and a pivot pin 21 extends through this aperture with a head 28 at the inner side of the end Wall I8 and pivotally receives an enlarged end 29 of a crank 30. The enlarged end portion of crank. 39

is rotatably received in the finger receiving recess IS in the end wall of the spool and the crank extends radially outwardly beyond the side wall of the spool and is bent into a U-shaped loop along the side of the spool and provided on its free end with a longitudinally extending knob 31. A suitable nut 32 may be threaded onto the pivot pin 21 to retain the crank in operative assembly with the spool. With these attachments, the assembled curler is held with the open end of the spool and the base of the frame flat against the head by means of handle 24 while a tress of hair is tightly wound about the curler assembly by rotation of the crank therearound. In order to wind the tress of hair on the spool H, with the pen end of the spool and the base of the frame placed flat against the head by means of handle 24, as described above, the tress of hair near its end attached to the head is placed in the U- shaped p of the crank 30. The crank is then rotated winding the tress about the spool and the frame and when the end of the .tress remote from the head has pulled out of the U-shaped loop of the crank the portion I? of the frame may be bent over the wound tress to hold the curl on the frame, as described above, the handle 24 removed from the frame and the spool l l carryingthe crank 3!) moved out of the frame and the frame carried curl. When the curl is completed and the ears ll bent over to hold it in place, the spool is slipped out of the frame and the handle 24 separated from the frame by pulling the prongs 25 oif of the prong-engaged loops l5, whereupn the frame with the coil of hair thereon may be secured to the hair in any convenient manner to hold the curls in position while they are setting.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing de scription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein,

What is claimed is:

l. A hair curler comprising a frame of stiff wire including two substantially circular rings spaced apart and generally parallel to each other, a triangular reinforcing structure in one of said rings, angularly spaced, arcuate loops extending outwardly from said one ring to provide a base for winding hair on said frame, means interconnecting said rings, and a pair of diametricallyopposed U-shaped ears of easily bendable wire upstanding from the other of said rings with their outer ends bendable over hair Wound on said frame to retain the hair thereon, and a cylin-' drical spool received in said frame and having a' finger receiving recess in one end thereof.

2. A hair curler comprising a frame of stiff Wire including a circular base with outwardly extending loops at one edge thereof, and angularly spaced apart U-shaped ears of easily bendable wire extending from said base substantially at right angles to said loops, said ears bein bendable at their outer ends over hair Wound upon said frame to retain the hair in place thereon, a cylindrical spool received in said frame: to facilitate winding hair on the frame, said spool having a finger recess in one end thereof.

3. A hair curler comprising a frame of stiff Wi e g tfi g a q rql lar' base W utwa dly extending loops at one edge thereof, and angularly spaced apart, U-shaped ears of readily bendable wire extending from said base substantially at right angles to said loops, said ears being bendable at their outer ends over hair wound on said frame to retain the hair in place thereon, a cylindrical spool received in said frame to facilitate winding hair on said frame, and a handle detachably secured to said spool for holding said curler while hair is wound thereon.

4. A hair curler comprising a frame of stifi wire, including a circular base with outwardly extending loops at one edge thereof, and angularly spaced apart, U-shaped ears of easily bendable wire extending from said base substantially at right angles to said loops, said ears being bendable at their outer ends over hair wound on said frame to retain the hair in place thereon, a cylindrical spool received in said frame to facilitate winding hair on the said frame, a handle releas- 20 ably attached to said frame base for holding said curler in place while hair is wound thereon, and a crank pivotally secured to said spool at one end of the latter and having a loop rotatable around said curler to assist in Winding hair on said curler.

5. A hair curler frame comprising two substantially circular wire rings spaced apart and generally parallel to each other, a triangular wire reinforcing structure secured in one of said rings, angularly spaced, arcuate wire loops extending outwardly from said one ring to provide a base for winding hair on said frame, means interconnecting said rings, and a pair of diametrically opposed, U-shaped ears of easily bendable wire upstanding from the other of said rings with their outer ends bendable over hair wound on said frame to retain the hair in place thereon.

MAUDE L. LEWIS.

No references cited. 

